1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image communication apparatus and an image processing apparatus.
2. Related Background Art
A conventional facsimile apparatus (FAX) for transmitting/receiving a hierarchically coded image performs communications using MH, MR, and MMR coding methods. As a FAX for performing hierarchical coding in a near future, a FAX having a JBIG mode is proposed.
On the other hand, when a multi-value image, e.g., a color picture, is to be transmitted, a JPEG method, for example, is proposed as an irreversible coding method.
However, in the prior art, a problem is posed upon selection of JBIG or JPEG. More specifically, in a communication of a plurality of pages, if the first page alone is an original suitable for the JBIG method, and the remaining pages are originals suitable for the JPEG method, the communication is performed in the JBIG mode, and image quality undesirably deteriorates.
Such a problem is not limited to the above-mentioned JBIG mode but is commonly posed in binary hierarchical coding. Similarly, this problem is not limited to the JPEG method but is commonly posed in irreversible coding.
On the other hand, when encoders are arranged in correspondence with the JBIG and JPEG modes, the arrangement is undesirably complicated.